The present invention relates to the construction of golf clubs and is specifically directed to the construction of a golf putter. The golf putter according to the present invention aids a golfer in the alignment of the golf club and the golf ball and provides the golfer with a putter having exceptional balance and force distribution characteristics.
Since its early beginnings approximately 800 years ago, golf has grown to be one of the world's great past times and enjoys popularity as a recreational sport throughout the world. Indeed, virtually every country in the world not only has residents who enjoy this sport but also has numerous golf courses specifically constructed for this popular recreational activity. Golf is played on a golf course which is specifically designed for the game and which comprises a plurality of holes for play. Each hole has a tee from which a golf ball is initially placed for play, a fairway and a cup into which the ball is to be stroked. The cup is surrounded by a putting green. The fairway is flanked by a rough, and obstacles such as water hazards and sand bunkers offer impediments to be avoided during play.
In the game of golf, a golfer typically employs a set of clubs, including clubs known as "woods" and "irons". The clubs are arranged in numerical order of increasing loft, that is, the angle of club face from the vertical. These clubs are designed to propel a golf ball a substantial distance as the golfer seeks to reach a putting green from the golf tee. A set of golf clubs also includes a putter which is specifically constructed. for use in striking the golf ball accurately towards the cup once it has reached the putting green. Other specialized irons, such as pitching wedges and sand wedges, may also be included in such a set of clubs.
Quite naturally, over the course of history, there have been increasing improvements in the technology associated with the construction of golf clubs. Such improvements have been in size, configuration, structural materials and the like. The general construction of such a golf club includes a handle portion adapted to be grasped by the golfer, a shaft extending linearly downwardly from the handle portion and a club head at the end of the shaft opposite the handle portion. The club head extends transversely to the shaft and has a neck portion located at one end thereof which neck portion is connected by a hosel to the shaft. The golfer grips the handle portion and faces a direction transversely of the desired flight of the golf ball, and the golfer addresses the golf ball by placing the club head adjacent the lie of the ball. The golfer then swings the golf club in a sweeping arc generally in a plane parallel to the golfer's body that may be described as the attack plane for a golf club and strikes the ball with the face of the club head at a desired amount of force to achieve an intended stroke. The arcuate swing of the club in the attack plane may find the club head travelling in almost a complete circle where a long shot is desired, but may be a short arcuate stroke as well, such as when the golf ball is putted on the green.
The present invention is thus directed to improvements in the construction of these golf clubs, and, in particular, in the geometric orientation of the construction elements. The present invention is especially adapted as an improvement in the structure and organization of a golf putter.